CIMSEC – In Large Scale Exercise 2023, numerous naval forces from around the world engaged in simulated warfighting under one global scenario. CIMSEC had the opportunity to discuss LSE23 with lead exercise planner Capt. Chris Narducci. In this discussion, Capt. Narducci describes what makes LSE unique, what the Navy is looking to learn from the event, and how LSE prepares the fleet for conflict against strategic competitors.
US Navy submarine branch focuses on developing Project Overmatch
Defense News – A reorganization of the Navy’s undersea warfare community two years ago has sharpened its focus on developing more modern warfighting tools, including a network of communications systems that will support joint all-domain operations.
US, Philippines wrap up naval drill amid clashes in South China Sea
Defense News – The United States and the Philippines have wrapped up joint naval drills near the Asian nation that focused on replenishment at sea, naval warfare, and human assistance and disaster response.
Crew Shortages, Bad Mattresses Causing Navy Surface Sailors to Lose Shut-Eye, Watchdog Says
Military.com – The Navy’s surface fleet is still struggling to alleviate fatigue among sailors more than six years after two deadly ship collisions and the service’s subsequent pledge to ensure that service members have more predictable sleep and work schedules, according to the Government Accountability Office.
(Thanks to Alain)
Second Set of Australian Sailors Graduate from U.S. Navy Nuke School
USNI News – The second group of Royal Australian Navy sailors have graduated from the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power school in Charleston, S.C..
Turkish Navy deploys Reis class submarine TCG Piri Reis in Bosphorus Strait
Navy Recognition – The first Reis class submarine, TCG Piri Reis, participated in the Republic Day festivities, marking its first official appearance. The air-independent propulsion submarine has been undergoing sea trials since the beginning of this year.
(Thanks to Alain)
The Uruguayan Navy: Preparing For the 21st Century
CIMSEC – Navies constantly evolve due to new challenges, objectives, visions, and realities. However, analysts rarely witness a sharp evolution of a Navy and its fleet. The Uruguayan Navy is undergoing that process, and as a reliable U.S. ally, Washington needs to understand what is going on and why.
What are the takeaways from Ukraine’s fight in the Black Sea?
Defense News – Ukraine has shown surprising naval capability in the Black Sea, helping to protect its shores and shipping while keeping its predator’s fleet at bay. This achievement is remarkable because Ukraine is virtually bereft of warships. It has succeeded through the skillful use of emerging technologies, such as explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels, and of older ones, such as land-based missiles and naval mines.
New Zealand Contemplates How To Best Manage A Small Fleet Of Ships
Naval News – The Royal New Zealand Navy commenced an industry engagement exercise with the release of a request for information on 8 September. The document, entitled Maritime Fleet Market Research for the Defence Capability Plan, revolves around how the navy can better manage its fleet with limited dollars.
Is Russia Expanding its Battlefront to Georgia?
RUSI – Russian plans to establish a naval base in Abkhazia would render the region a legitimate target for Ukrainian military strikes, creating major risks for Tbilisi.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Now in the Mediterranean Sea, Bataan ARG in the Red Sea
USNI News – The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is headed toward the mass of U.S. naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea after transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on Saturday. Meanwhile, two ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group are now in the Red Sea.
U.S. Army Expanding Watercraft Footprint in the Pacific
USNI News – When asked if he looked forward to having additional watercraft under his command, the commanding general of the Army’s 8th Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) said: “We know that in our exercises, having more capability would really give us flexibility, and a lot of better options,” he said.
How The U.S. Army Can Talk To The Navy About War With China
1945 – James Holmes writes that a friend serving in the U.S. Army asks: how can army leaders get their message about the army’s role in Pacific strategy to “resonate” with their sea-service counterparts?
‘Blue Africa’ Partnership Seeks to Curb Annual $10B Loss from Illegal Fishing
USNI News – Faced with an annual $10 billion loss from Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, West African nations are moving to work together to better understand and police their exclusive economic zones as a group.
US Navy mulls timing of new double-carrier award amid Enterprise delay
Defense News – The U.S. Navy intends to buy its next two aircraft carriers in a single contract, but factors including delays on carriers now under construction are influencing discussions about when to begin the process.
Runaway ship Newnew Polar Bear, suspected of sabotage in Baltic Sea, is sailing into Russian Arctic waters
Barents Observer – The container ship that is suspected of having damaged a gas pipeline and two communication cables in the Baltic Sea on the 25th of October left the north Russian port of Arkhangelsk with course towards Arctic waters. The Newnew Polar Bear will this week sail through the Kara Sea and make it through the icy strait of Vilkitsky. Escorted by a Russian state-owned icebreaker it will subsequently sail eastwards along the North Siberian coast towards the Bering Strait and into Pacific waters.
Lawmakers worried Navy’s ongoing sub spending hasn’t fixed fleet woes
Defense News – As the government’s spending on the submarine industrial base grows, so too is concern among lawmakers.
Navy test-fires missile from mobile launcher aboard LCS Savannah
Defense News – The littoral combat ship Savannah on Tuesday fired a SM-6 missile from a “containerized launching system” at a target in the Pacific Ocean, signaling a way that the lightly armed ship class could one day contribute to a conventional naval battle.
The Sinking Submarine Industrial Base
War on the Rocks – Submarines are an integral part of the U.S. Navy’s future force design, and rightly so. The United States needs more submarines if it is to deter China in the Indo-Pacific, particularly given the Chinese navy’s growing undersea fleet. But the question remains — can America build and maintain the number of submarines it needs?
France Deploys One LHD, Two Frigates To The Eastern Mediterranean
Naval News – The French Navy Mistral-class LHD Tonnerre departed its home port of Toulon yesterday. The vessel is now en route to the Eastern Mediterranean, an area where naval vessel presence is getting increasingly busy…
UK lawmakers say ‘limited’, ‘modest’ Indo-Pacific presence not enough to address China threat
Breaking Defense – A new report from the UK’s Defence Committee criticizes Britain’s Indo-Pacific military presence, judging it “limited” and the UK’s strategy “unclear” in the face of a potential conflict with China over Taiwan.
The laidback Australian city key to countering China
BBC – When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets US President Joe Biden in Washington this week, deterring an assertive China will be on the agenda. At home, Darwin – a city key to the US-led defence alliance in the Pacific – will be watching.
China is Fighting the Third Opium War With Fish
CIMSEC – China is reaping huge economic benefits by selling fish to the United States in a manner that is directly funding its military and diplomatic buildups to be able to out compete the United States.
HMS Prince of Wales crosses the Atlantic and begins developmental flying trials
Navy Lookout – HMS Prince of Wales headed to the United States in September and has now begun a series of test flights with various aircraft to inform the development of future Royal Navy carrier aviation. Here we cover the first part of the deployment and the start of these trials.
Thailand Shelves Attack Submarine Purchase Plans
Naval News – Thailand’s defense minister Sutin Klungsang has announced Thailand’s suspension of its purchase of a Chinese-built S26T diesel-electric attack submarine, with the government accepting the Royal Thai Navy’s proposal to instead procure a frigate from China with the funding allocated for the submarine.
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